Author's Note- Hello, my freaky darlings! How did you all enjoy my first chapter? I hope you all enjoyed it. I now have a friend of mine working with me during this story process so I shouldn't be screwing up a lot-he's my new editor!
Review Recap- Luke, Desertman, Rinny Leonheart, Jose, QTrepe432, and Zero and X. I want to thank you all for your reviews and as well everyone else who has reviewed my story. I have taken your advice and complements and have made them all count. Thank you all very much.
Disclaimer- Thankfully, I don't own cheerleaders-but I sure as hell know how they act!
Chapter Two- Punishments on Top of Punishments
In the middle of a gunfight...
In the center of a restaurant...
They say, "Come with your arms raised high!"
Well, they're never gonna get me,
And like a bullet through a flock of doves...
To wage this war against your faith in me,
Your life...will never be the same.
On your mother's eyes, say a prayer... say a prayer!
-My Chemical Romance
Quistis led the way to the infirmary; Seifer had been placed there after the fight had finished. When they had arrived, he was laying on a bed with a bandage covering his now healing wound. The two cheerleaders smiled as they entered, their eyes sympathetic to the wounded jock that had fell victim to the one person he couldn't defeat. Ironic really, all this time he teased the lion and now-finally- the lion struck the annoying tamer.
Rinoa walked in first, Quistis behind her. "You have some explaining to do…" Quistis had told Rinoa before they entered the infirmary. Rinoa just shrugged and entered ready for whatever Seifer had to say. Oddly enough, Seifer had nothing to ask. He just seemed happy to have Rinoa in his presence.
"How are you feeling?" Quistis asked softly as she sat in the chair closest to him. Rinoa sat at the foot of the bed with her legs crossed.
"Fine… God that fucking loner caught me off guard…"
"As did you…" Quistis smiled and patted his shoulder.
Rinoa looked at the wall, Quistis was pretty good at kissing ass especially to the one person she had a major crush on-Seifer. It was pretty funny though; Seifer never paid her any mind. She smiled at the thought. For once in Quistis' perfect life she wasn't getting what she wanted.
"It's not like you didn't deserve what you got…" Rinoa said softly and absent minded. Seifer and Quistis both turned to look at her.
"What?" Quistis said stunned, playing as though she had no idea of what she was talking about.
"Nothing…" Rinoa said bluntly as she slid off the bed. Quistis looked at her oddly and then rose from her seat.
"I'm going to go find out if Xu found out about the fight. Catch you two later." Quistis leaned down and kissed Seifer on the cheek and whispered in his ear "Get well". As she walked out he smiled.
"O.K. Rinoa, Quistis might've left you off with that comment but I heard you loud and clear. Do tell of what you meant." Seifer said as he sat up in the bed. Rinoa walked over to his side and put her back against the wall so she could be close enough for her voice to be heard clearly even as she spoke lowly.
"Seifer… you and I have been friends from the get-go and you know I've stood by your side along with Selphie and Quistis and watched you fight countless of poor little freshmen…" She sighed as she closed her eyes. She thought Seifer would've gotten the point by those last lines but she knew she had to continue. "And well… almost everyday you poked fun or teased Squall. And Squall, almost always ignored you not paying any mind at all. So… you sort of had it coming to you, now didn't you?" Rinoa opened her eyes and looked at Seifer. His eyes showed understanding; he nodded to her.
"Didn't think the little bastard had it in him…" Seifer said with what started as a serious face then back to a smiling/joking face. "I still think it was beginners luck."
"Yeah… uh-huh" Rinoa said with a "yeah right" expression, "You mean you had beginners luck. I think he went easy on you-imagine if the crowd didn't disrupt the fight? He probably would've done worse damage on you." Rinoa sighed as she closed her eyes at the thought. Seifer looked at Rinoa to see her expression-sad? That can't be… it was Rinoa for hell's sake.
"Rinoa…"Seifer said softly as his hand met hers, "you don't have to worry about that-nothing is gonna happen to me. O.K?" He whispered softly as he was fully turned to her. "Besides… if anything happens I'll take care of it-after all I took care of him first, now didn't I?"
I wouldn't exactly consider that "taking care of him first"… More like a cheat…"Whatever you say Seifer…" She smiled at him as she gripped his hand slightly. Seifer took a deep breath.
Now or never… He thought to himself as he tried to work up the nerve to tell Rinoa his true feelings. "Rinoa… there's something I want to tell you… I've been trying to find the right words so I wouldn't seem like a complete moron. Rin-"
"There you are, Almasy." Xu walked in, her face blunt and serious. Squall could be seen leaning against the wall outside of the infirmary with his arms crossed. "Rinoa Heartilly, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Rinoa nodded at her dean and gave a kiss on his cheek before she left the room.
"You've got some explaining to do…"
Rinoa walked by Squall trying to get him to look up from the floor. He didn't. Not wanting to be defeated she walked back to him and just stood their looking at him with a tilted head. Sighing, Squall looked up. The scar seemed to look good with his face.
"Yes?" Squall asked bluntly as his eyes narrowed.
"Are you in trouble?" Rinoa asked softly, not wanting for Xu to come out.
"Why else would her Majesty Herself-Xu come out to find me?" Squall looked clearly annoyed. "Why are you even here? Let alone care about what's happening to me?" Squall walked like three steps and then planted himself back against a wall. Rinoa sighed and walked in front of him once again. "Honestly, what is your deal? Shouldn't you be in the field shaking your pompoms with the rest of the cheer squad?" Squall said bluntly not showing any remorse for her.
"I do that later. Besides… I don't always go out to the field and do routines." She said with a slight smile as he looked at her with a "O.K… so?" look. "Am I bothering you?"
"Just a little bit." Squall said sarcastically as his foot met the wall.
"Good-that means you've noticed me." Rinoa grinned. Squall sighed and rolled his eyes trying hard not to smile. "Well… I'm going to leave you to the hands of Miss Xu. Have fun with her punishment." Rinoa said as she smiled turning and skipping down the hall.
"Damn cheerleaders" Squall muttered to himself as he looked back at the floor.
"O.K boys," Xu started as she paced in front of Squall and Seifer. She handed them both a bucket and a set of toothbrushes and sponges; they were both wearing bright yellow gloves that reached their elbows and smocks that were tied around their waists. "You two are going to wash the football stadium bleachers from top to bottom. And by the way… The cheerleaders will be practicing during your punishment. If I go to check up on you two and find that one or both of you have left, your punishments will double. Have fun." Xu said as she patted both of their shoulders and walked down the hall.
"O.K. girls, as your new captain…" Quistis started as she paced in front of her squad. Rinoa and Selphie, among the rest of the cheerleaders, were sitting down on the grass listening to Quistis' words. "I expect the best from you all. I know we are all friends here but let's not forget that we have been coming in second place to those Deling cheerleaders every year! So this time… Let's win one for Balamb! Who's with me?" Quistis said as she extended her hand toward her squad. With her few yet exciting words, the squad all jumped to their feet and screamed in unison "YEAH!". Quistis smiled at her new and now excited group of cheerleaders.
"All right! Now that we've got that news out of the way… Let's get to practicing!" Quistis said energetically as her squad nodded and went straight into their routines.
20 minutes later…
Squall and Seifer had been trying their best to hide themselves from the view of the cheerleaders. All had been going well until Seifer decided to throw a soap soaked sponge at Squall.
"You little…!" Squall rose from his crouched position at the top of the bleachers and flung the sponge directly back at him. He was satisfied when he had made his mark but by doing so the entire cheer leading squad noticed their presence. Squall and Seifer stood there in bright yellow smocks and bright yellow elbow reaching gloves as soap dripping from there now soaked hair.
"What the…?" One of the cheerleaders said, as her jaw lay open. As soon as the cheerleader finished a wave of laughter a rose as Squall shook his head and Seifer started to grin and laugh with them.
"What? Never saw a cleaning man before?" Seifer said as he flung a sponge at the squad. The girls laughed and threw it right back. "By the way… any of you gals want your dorms cleaned?" Seifer grinned as he caught the flying sponge.
Rinoa was on the grass stretching as the on going catch game of sponges went on, not paying any mind to Seifer's childish antics. Selphie laughed and ran up the bleachers, sitting next to a silent Squall. "Now how on earth did you end up cleaning the bleachers?" Selphie said as looked at an emotionless Squall.
"That fight with Seifer."
"Oh… Any regrets?"
"Not really. I'd wash a thousand bleachers to beat him up again." Squall grinned at the thought.
"Hey… watch what you wish for…" Xu walked into the football stadium and found the havoc from which she left. "Little Miss Xu is back… why is she on your cases?"
"Ever since she got that promotion… she's been making it her duty to make our lives a living hell." Squall got up from the bleachers and started cleaning, not wanting to hear Xu's mouth.
"Hm… That might be true. Power seems to get to people's heads sometimes. I'll drop by your dorm later tonight… good luck with the dean." Selphie got up and started to jump down the bleachers. When she reached the grass she whispered to Quistis "Xu is here." Then she walked over to Rinoa and sat down.
"What is going on here!" Xu said enraged as she walked out into the middle of the field. "Squall, Seifer. Get down here this instant!" the cheerleaders all dropped the sponges and sat down on the grass. Quistis turned red from embarrassment. Squall stopped cleaning and started down the bleachers as Seifer dropped his sponge into his bucket, he too walking down the bleachers. "It seems like you two can't stay out of trouble… Come with me. After cheer practice you guys will be back in here to finish washing the bleachers. For now you both have detention." Xu led the two boys into the infamous detention area. As soon as she left them, the teacher stationed there fell asleep and the teenagers began shooting dice, fighting, arm wrestling-the works.
Squall made his way to a chair near the back of the room. Seifer sat in and watched two people arm wrestle.
Among the many students in detention were the unbreakable posse of Irvine and Zell. They made their way to the back of the room where Squall sat alone.
"Hey there… Uh… Squall wasn't it?" Said the cowboy in the brown ten-gallon hat. "I saw you fight mister jock over there. A real crowd pleaser, I'll say." Irvine pulled a chair up to Squall and Zell stood with his back against the wall.
"Thanks… but because of that fight I landed myself here along with cleaning the football stadium bleachers." Squall leaned back and sighed, "And I didn't even get to finish him off…"
"What? Dude, did you see what you did to him?" Zell said with hand motions, "You did what every guy in this school dreamed of. And you're saying you didn't even get to finish him off?"
"That's right," Squall said bluntly not caring what the blonde had to say.
"You've got a lot of guts man. The names Zell." Extended his hand to be shaken.
"Squall." Shook his hand.
"And my name is Irvine, you hang out with that cheerleader don't you?"
"Selphie?"
"Yeah, that's her name. She's real hyper and bouncy and hot-"
"Your point?" Squall said trying to figure out whether or not to think Irvine was a stalker or a pervert.
"Well… does she have a boyfriend?" Irvine asked eagerly.
"No…" Squall's eyes narrowed as the cowboy grinned.
"Think she'd be interested?"
"Don't know. Never seemed to like the playboy type. Why?"
"Well I've been trying to get her attention and-"
"So you're the breather on the telephone!" Squall tried hard not to laugh as Irvine blushed confirming his question.
"I uh… Just couldn't get past her voice…"
"Whatever you say…" Squall laughed andleaned back.
Alrighty! So that's chapter two. I hoped everyone has enjoyed it! Don't forget to review!
Sneak Peek of the next chapter…
What happens when you add cheerleaders, jocks, and almost the entire student body into a house party with alcohol, a hot tub and a pool? Well… let's just say Selphie knows how to throw a mean house party. Stay tuned to the next chapter… Chapter Three- I'm Honest When I'm Drunk…